*

October, 2006 – Discovery

     Of all the places Xander Harris could have run into Spike in the great City of Angels, he met him at a bus stop.

     The silence that stretched on as they looked at each other was awkward—complicated even more by the fact that because of the hour Xander wasn't entirely sure it wasn't just some guy who bore a strong resemblance, and the silence wasn't just a result of his staring.  Then the man opened his mouth, said something rude, and Xander felt free to punch him.

      "That's for leaving Buffy," he said before rising to help the other stand again.  The man-who-probably-was-Spike looked at the hand offendedly, but accepted it nevertheless.

      "Thanks for saving the world, by the way," Harris added after a minute, turning his chin to glance at the brunette beside him on the bench.

      "Same to you," the man retorted, slouching back against the wood, and Xander almost grinned.  Then his expression faltered a bit. 

      "I'm going to tell her you're alive, you know."

     An unreadable expression covered the man's face, and then he gave a firm nod. 

      "S'okay."

*